KU School of Architecture & Design

Since 2021, the Department of Architecture at The University of Kansas has built a collaborative portfolio review process that supports M.Arch students, spurs timely dialogue, and connects emerging designers with industry leaders. This year, more than 70 finalists were identified, with 26 portfolios recognized as exemplary by external reviewers—reflecting the strength of our students and the power of this professional network. We extend our sincere thanks to our alumni and professional reviewers for their time, insight, and mentorship. Participating firms and contributors include: The Beck Group, BNIM, Bopp Architecture, LLC, BRR Architecture, CannonDesign, clark | huesemann, Columbia College (Dave Broz), Davis Partnership Architects, Gensler, GFF Design, HDR, HNTB, JHP Architecture / Urban Design, Kiku Obata & Company, KREHBIEL ARCHITECTURE, LEVER Architecture, Mackey Mitchell Architects, Mark Cavagnero Associates, M+H Architects, MODUSarchitecture, Multistudio, NBBJ Design, OBJECT TERRITORIES, O'Connell Robertson, Olson Kundig, OZ Architecture, Populous, Schaefer Architecture, Slaggie Architects, SLATTERY Design + Architecture, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), SPT Architecture, TK Architects International, Travois, The University of Virginia School of Architecture (Ar. Lincoln L.), WNB Architects, and Wellner Architects + Engineers. Your engagement directly shapes the next generation of architects. 🙏 See the 2026 winners and portfolios: https://lnkd.in/g6XjY6QU

The Campanile is shining brighter thanks to KU architecture alum Lisa J. Reed and her team at St. Louis-based Reed Burkett Lighting Design. A defining landmark on Mount Oread, the Campanile was constructed in 1950 as a memorial to members of The University of Kansas community who lost their lives in World War II. Built of native Kansas limestone and rising 120 feet, it houses a 53-bell carillon that continues to mark time and tradition across campus. With a portfolio spanning cultural institutions, higher education, hospitality, and public spaces – including the Gateway Arch in St. Louis – Reed Burkett Lighting Design works to elevate environments through thoughtful, technically precise lighting. It is wonderful seeing this care for tradition and focused innovation in action right here on campus. This project reflects the broader impact of KU alumni, who are shaping industries across the country while bringing their expertise back to campus through meaningful work, mentorship, and inspiration. Rock Chalk!

Kansas City is playing a meaningful role in shaping the future of soccer—and this week’s Shaping the Future of Football exhibition opening event highlighted how. Hosted at the Keystone Innovation District CoLAB space in the East Crossroads, the exhibition brings together applied research, design innovation, and data-driven approaches that are transforming the global game – just as KC welcomes fans for FIFA World Cup 26™ Kansas City. The opening event featured: •KU researchers presenting forward-thinking work at the intersection of sports, design, and performance •Ashley Loch of Dimensional Innovations, who shared insights on creative direction and experiential design for KC Current's new worldclass facilities. The conversation underscored an important takeaway: collaboration between academia, industry, and creative practitioners is key to driving meaningful innovation in sports. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We are excited to continue the dialogue. 📍 The exhibition is on view at Keystone CoLAB throughout the summer, with a closing celebration on August 21st. 🙏 Thanks to local firms for helping make this exhibition possible: AMPERE, Buildex, LLC, DLR Group, Gensler, Goodwill of Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas, HDR, HNTB, HOK, Insperity, Kiewit, Populous, and Turner Construction Company.

👀 Check out the KU School of Architecture & Design student work currently featured in London-based magazine Dezeen: Projects include design proposals for a pediatric micro-hospital for Children's Mercy, interior renovations for University of Kansas Libraries, and an airplane hangar developed in collaboration with Burns & McDonnell; and completed design-build projects from Dirt Works Studio and STUDIO 804 INC. https://lnkd.in/gKB6SbEK

Reminder: Tonight in the Crossroads ⚽ Join us for “Shaping the Future of Football” — exploring data-inspired design and Kansas City’s global impact on soccer and sports design. Hear from KU researchers and Dimensional Innovations creative director, Ashley Loch. ➕ 🍦 Enjoy limited-edition World Cup–inspired ice cream from BETTY RAE'S ICE CREAM LLC ! 📍 Keystone CoLAB 800 E 18th Street, KCMO 🕕 6–8 p.m. ℹ️ https://lnkd.in/gNugaWrF This exhibition was created by the KU School of Architecture & Design in partnership with the Keystone Innovation District.

Kansas City isn’t just hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States — it’s helping design it. 15 of 16 host stadiums for 2026 trace back to Kansas City firms and alumni of The University of Kansas. Now see the work behind that impact. “Shaping the Future of Football” — an exhibition created by the KU School of Architecture & Design in partnership with the Keystone Innovation District — showcases how data-driven design and applied research are transforming the global game. Join us in the East Crossroads for an opening event featuring presentations and insights from the designers and researchers shaping the future of sport. And get excited for FIFA World Cup 26™ Kansas City! 📍 Keystone CoLAB 800 E. 18th St, KCMO 🗓 June 10 🕕 6–8 p.m. ℹ️ Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eMJ9qqkq

A KU student design-build project in Lawrence, Kansas has earned international recognition while expanding access to environmental education and creating a beautiful community asset. The Prairie Park Pavilion, designed and constructed by third-year students in Keith Van de Riet’s studio, received the AZ Award for Student Work from AZURE Media. 🏆 https://lnkd.in/eVUc77hu Developed in collaboration with the City of Lawrence, KS, regional municipalities, and industry partners, the project addresses a critical local need: flexible, affordable outdoor infrastructure to support camps, school programs, public events and revenue-generating activities that sustain the Prairie Park Nature Center. The project reflects the KU School of Architecture & Design’s approach to applied research and experiential learning. Students led all phases of the work, from concept and parametric modeling to materials sourcing, fabrication and assembly. Project highlights include: • 1,200+ reclaimed aluminum road signs repurposed into a sculptural high-performance canopy • Dozens of retired utility poles donated by Evergy reengineered into structural columns • A roof system optimized to work with salvaged materials • Limestone reused from KU's Memorial Stadium renovations The pavilion now functions as a critical community asset that provides shaded gathering space for year-round programming within a precious remnant of North American tallgrass prairie. Projects like these demonstrate how connecting education, research, and service can create tangible outcomes for communities. Through partnerships with city and county agencies, material suppliers, and regional stakeholders, students engage directly with professional realities. This integrated approach strengthens community impact while preparing KU students for practice. By working alongside civic and industry partners, students gain experience typically reserved for early career roles. At The University of Kansas, students gain real-world professional skills before graduation. 💡 Learn about KU's center for design education and research: https://arcd.ku.edu/

Congratulations to architecture professor Chad Kraus on being named a 2026 Kemper Fellow for Teaching Excellence, one of highest honors recognizing innovative, student-centered teaching at The University of Kansas. Kraus’s work exemplifies the impact of design-build education, where students engage directly with materials, construction, and the built environment. As founding director of KU’s Dirt Works Studio, Kraus has led award-winning projects that connect theory, craft, and community. His recognition highlights the role of KU’s unique hands-on, community-engaged pedagogy in shaping the next generation of architects. Kemper Fellows are selected for their ability to inspire students, advance teaching innovation, and contribute to long-term student success, qualities that define Kraus’s work in and beyond the studio. 👏 Join us in congratulating Professor Kraus on this honor! https://lnkd.in/eh2AWBuc

KU architecture students are putting design into action, creating both housing and opportunity. In a recent story by 41 Action News KSHB reporter Lily O'Shea Becker, the impact of KU’s commitment to real-world, community-focused design is highlighted through a design-build project supporting individuals transitioning out of homelessness. KU’s Dirt Works Studio, led by architecture professor Chad Kraus, partnered with Tenants To Homeowners, Inc. to create a home that addresses a critical local need. The project also serves as a model for energy-efficient, affordable housing that can be adapted by communities across Kansas and beyond. For students, the experience goes far beyond the classroom: “It was crazy how much we (students) actually got to do,” said student Camryn Strope. “I was doing electrical work, I was doing some of the plumbing, cutting things, using power tools — all these things I never thought I’d be doing myself.” Projects like this give graduates of The University of Kansas a unique concept-to-completion understanding of architecture that can only be gained through hands-on experience at all levels of design and construction. 🔻 Learn more from KSHB 41: https://lnkd.in/gGVJWGhn

Congratulations to our Class of 2026 graduates and to all architecture and design students at The University of Kansas on reaching the finish line this year. 🏁 From the first day of studio last fall through final presentations this spring, students embraced the challenges of design education—pushing ideas forward, building professional skillsets, and developing new ways to engage with and shape the world around them. 💙 We also extend sincere thanks to our industry and community partners, alumni, and the broader community across Kansas and beyond. Your mentorship and engagement create meaningful opportunities for our students and play a key role in preparing them for what comes next. We look forward to the impact our graduates will make and to the continued growth and exploration of students returning to the studio next fall.